BrightWave Marketing's founder describes the hurly-burly of a day in the life of email managers, and how to manage the chaos.

So what do the people who actually manage email marketing programs look and act like? Are they data-driven specialists or Jacks (and Jills) of all trades marketing professionals? Do they hit the send button or drive big picture communication strategy?

The answer is yes.

Like any job description, it varies from company to company and day to day. According to Wendy Weber, President of Crandall Associates, an executive recruiting firm specializing in interactive marketing positions, some of the necessary skills include knowledge of the database segmentation process in relation to email, understanding of email privacy and CAN-SPAM compliance, and the ability to interface with the content development professional to make sure email messages are relevant to the recipient.

I spoke to some experienced leaders in the email marketing universe to get insight into their daily activities, what makes their jobs unique and how they navigate the many changes that occur in this field on a constant basis.

Here's what they said:

Background/skill set
As is the case for most new media professionals, resumes vary, and there is no "perfect" background in the same way that there is in the accounting or legal worlds.

All of the email marketing experts I spoke with came from a traditional marketing background and learned email and interactive marketing on the job. Most are seasoned marketing veterans accustomed to leading branding and promotional programs. Some didn't seek out email duties: it found them and have stuck.

Where does email live in your company?
Regardless of the size of the company, email marketing staffs usually consists of small teams. Coordination seems to be the key word here. Whether it is managing agencies responsible for design and deployment or synching up with merchandising to make sure the right products get highlighted, email marketing is in the belly of the beast-- even if it lives in a silo.

For example, take Gareth Morgan: Global Email Marketing Manager for InterContinental Hotels Group. He is responsible for much of the hotel chain's award-winning global email efforts, meaning he is accountable for email campaigns in seven languages including Japanese and Chinese. That requires a great deal of inter-departmental harmonization and patience, while communicating through multiple time zones.

Syd Jones, IBM's senior manager, demand generation, e-marketing, says that regardless of the company's near-term business objectives, both teams that are responsible for email marketing understand the long-term impact of treating their prospects and customers with respect. He stresses that -- outside of face-to-face or telephone contact -- email and emarketing has the potential to be IBM's most personal point of contact.

Email usually touches key marketing areas like branding, promotions and CRM. Learning to live cohesively with these different groups is essential. Regardless of whether email marketing is a sales, marketing, product or technology function, anyone managing email can expect to interface with all aspects in their roles.

Daily issues
Anyone that is best suited for a nine-to-five, punching-the-clock job would probably find email marketing both unsettling and unappealing. Morgan aptly sums up a routine day by saying "every day starts off with some predictability that is soon lost."

So, how do you build email unity among teams at a company serving clients in 174 countries in 165 languages? IBM's Jones says "work with smart agency partners. Listen really carefully. Think small. Focus"

Jamie DiCarro, Email Marketing Manager at Ballard Designs, Inc. increasingly has her eye on three main issues that dominate her job: email deliverability, email acquisition and increasing competition in the inbox.

Best practices
The most cited best practices were testing and monitoring metrics, without buying too much into the industry studies. While balancing your company's needs and reaching goals is important, Morgan stressed focusing all decisions around the value and relevance of content to recipients.

Jones said some of the learnings they have realized and apply at IBM include using customer research, re-using assets and giving the subject line proper attention.

DiCarro made the astute point about having someone who isn't an integral part of the email campaign test and review your creative and copy. She points out the process of getting email campaigns out the door often needs some fresh eyes that can review all the little details that the customer will inevitably find, if you don't.

Tips and recommendations for others in this position
Sold on becoming an email marketing expert? Not so fast. Review these tips before you hit the job boards, networking events and HR department. Some advice from our specialists:

Gareth Morgan, Global Email Marketing Manager, InterContinental Hotels Group: "Leave your daily planner at home-- this environment is about thinking on your feet and making judgment calls on a regular basis.

"Leave your pride at home… email is out there for the world to pick at and comment on. Unlike a website page, when an email gets sent it is gone…A mistake cannot be pulled down and changed. You live with it or decide on best course of correction."

Syd Jones, IBM Senior Manager, Demand Generation, e-Marketing: "Speak the language of marketing and sales. There will be time to impress with your specialized knowledge and expertise, but find the common ground first. At its core this follows the same principle you want with your email communications: be respectful of the recipient."

Jamie DiCarro, Email Marketing Manager, Ballard Designs, Inc: "Attend webinars, seminars and conferences to learn and share with your peers. A lot of people are afraid to ask for help, but you'd be surprised at how much we have to learn from one another, and at how much people are willing to share about their experiences."

And don't miss these final words of wisdom from a recruiter (who also used to be a direct marketer) who helps companies find these types of marketing stars….

Wendy Weber, President, Crandall Associates, Inc: "Employers are looking for email marketing professionals who have a proven track record in leveraging email to increase the customer base and retain established customers while increasing revenue for their employer.

"As far as people looking to get into email marketing, on the entry level, I would recommend taking a course or program in interactive marketing. The best course of action for someone already in direct marketing to learn emarketing is to learn 'on the job' within their current employer before looking for an emarketing position outside the company."

As a post script, I should note that a new email-focused industry group -- The Email Experience Council -- recently announced its first email-related standard: the spelling of "email." No hyphen, no capital E, just "email" straight, no chaser. The Oxford English Dictionary had adopted that usage, and you should as well. We all need to stick together, even on the small things.

G. Simms Jenkins is founder and principal of BrightWave Marketing, an Atlanta-based email marketing and customer relationship services firm. Read full bio.